Jelly Jars

Here's just something to think about:

It came to me this morning as I opened the jar of jelly to put a dab of it on my muffin - what happened to the jelly jars of old? You know, the ones where once you were done with the contents you could then use the container as a cup or glass?

• The ones that didn't come with a screw on lid, but the lid that you snapped open and then snapped the lid back on for storage?
• The ones made of glass that had a smooth upper surface around the opening (lip)?
• The ones that were completely smooth-surfaced to allow for easy removal of the product?

My container was just about empty so I took a long-handled teaspoon and scraped, and scraped some more, trying to get the last remnants of the jelly out of the jar. This particular jar was made of plastic and had indentations around it of grapes and grape leaves making it hard to remove the jelly from those spots. As well, the container was shaped with a moderate crimp around the bottom edge that, when coupled with the rise and ridges in the bottom of the container, made it impossible to remove all of the jelly.



I know many people could care less about a small remainder of product being left in a jelly jar, but it bothers me. Instead of concentrating on the intricate design of the container, the company should focus more on the ability of the product to be used by the consumer.

This isn't the only product design I've noticed that has changed over the years. Take a look at some of today's mayonnaise or salad dressing containers: instead of the screw on tops, they've come out with the flip-top that presents the same type of problem around the top edges when the consumer tries to remove the last of the contents.

I think back on the television commercial of old, you know, the one where the individual goes to the refrigerator only to find the Miracle Whip jar empty? He takes a knife and can't get anything out of the jar and then gives up on making the sandwich since there is no Miracle Whip - "a sandwich just isn't a sandwich without the great taste of Miracle Whip salad dressing." That jar of salad dressing was one of the smooth, simple-designed, glass ones.

Packaging and design seems to take priority these days.